Mini Monets and Mommies: Valentine's Day Heart Garland Kids' Art

Valentine’s Day is coming up quickly (wasn’t it just Christmas, right?). Get the kids into the holiday spirit with a heart-themed art activity! We’ve done tons over the years, but this one is a favorite. Why? Because it offers so many different ways to learn.

Not only is it a fine motor activity (drawing, cutting and lacing), but it also includes math. I’m big on using art to teach other subjects. It’s a creative way to engage your child in whatever subject is at hand. This arts and crafts project helps to teach your child about basic math concepts such as shape, size and pattern. Plus, with the Valentine’s Day theme, it’s a perfect way to spend some time together and share the love.

Here’s What You’ll Need:

· Card stock paper in Valentine’s Day colors—choose one color such as red, or try a few (pink and purple, or different shades of red)

· Scissors

· A hole punch

· Ribbon or yarn

· Plastic straws – in different colors

· A marker

Here’s What to Do:

1. Fold the paper in half.

2. Draw half of a heart starting at the fold.

3. Cut the heart out. Open it to reveal the whole heart. This is a great way to teach shape and symmetry. Let your child play with the heart for a bit – she can open and close it, exploring halves and wholes.

4. Create more hearts in different sizes. Have your child sort the hearts from smallest to largest. Or make stacks of like-sized shapes.

5. Punch a hole through each heart.

6. Cut a piece of ribbon (to any length you want). You can use a longer piece of ribbon to make a heart garland or a shorter piece to make a necklace.

7. Cut the straws into 1- or 2-inch sections.

8. Thread the ribbon through a straw piece. Have your child add a heart. Repeat this process for more straws and hearts, creating a pattern. Your child can experiment with different patterns, such as alternating straw colors, alternating heart colors or alternating sizes.